The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-01-26
TILDEN'S WISHES.
O Free Library To Be Established Re-
gardless of Any Litigation.
New York Times.

Ii is now autboritatiyely announced, in
behalf of the heirs of Samuel J. Tilden who
have begun the suit in equity for the pur-
pose OF invalidatiDg the clause in Mr.. TIL
den's will creating the free library trust ESQ
called), that, even if the courts should decide
that the attempt to create the trust was void
and of no effect whatever, they will fully and
faithfully carry out Mr.. Tilden's intentions,
and give to the city the largest and best free
library in the world.
A gentleman who holds the most colfi-
Dental relations to Mrs. Pelton and the
children of Henry Tilden, Samuel ]. Til
den's brother, said yesterday: IF people
think that Mrs. Pelton and the other heirs
have the slightest desire to prevent the
establishment of free public library as in
tended by Mr.. Tilden, then they totally mis-
conceive their purposes. They simply wish
to get for themselves fair share of Mr.. Til
den's property, such as he had always led
them to believe they should have.
"MTs. Pelton now has the income Of $780,
600 and each of the children of Henry Til
den now has the income of So, 000-a small
sum, and by no means in accordance with
the surroundings which they enjoyed dur.
ing Samuel ]. Tilden's life The annual in-
come of SO 600 is only g, 250; they had been
brought up by Mr.. Tilden 10 spend much
more. By the request of Samuel ]. Tilden
his nephews assumed an Indebtedness created
by the business of the chemical works at New
Lebanon, which he promised 10 take OF
their hands and pay himself He never
did; very likely on account of his invinci5le
propensity 10 delay. 1t now amounts to
about $500, 600, and the Tllden boys are stag
gering under the load. These things are not
right and the heirs feel that recti6cation
should be made.
''The property available for the free Ii
brary under the trust is about $15,000,
coo. There is no need of such a sum.
John Jacob Astor gave 500, 900 10 estab
lish the Astor Library. Let 81 100000
apiece be given to Mrs. Pelton and the Til
den children, aud there would still be
50 600, 600 left for the library. No library
in the world has anything like such an en-
dowment."
"What are the prospects of COMPROMISED
was asked.
81 can not tell you to-day But 1 will say
this: Since the trustees have learned that
the heirs do not desire to defeat Mr. Tilden's
wish to establish great free public library,
they are much more inclined to do the fair
thing than ever before. Messrs. Carter and
Ledyard, their lawyers, have until February
to put in their answer to the complaint.
After that the testimony must be taken or
case be made upon paper by agreement, 80
that some time must elapse before things
viii be ready for argument at the shortest.
Before then you may expect to hear that
an equitable arrangement has been made
With the heirs. il none should be made, and
the courts should declare the trust 10 bein-
valid, of course all the property will be
divided pro rata among the six heirs. In that
event they will relinquish millions enough
to freely carry out Samuel J. Tilden's grand
and benevolent intentions in regard TO the
librarVn